title: SESC Practice Committee survey: surgical practice in the duty-hour restriction era.
abstract: Debate continues as to the relevance of Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) duty-hour restrictions in actual practice and the adequacy of resident training in surgery. A survey of the membership of the Southeastern Surgical Congress using an Internet-based questionnaire was conducted: adherence to duty-hour restrictions, evidence of sleepiness and fatigue, opinions regarding the training, and clinical performance of surgeons who had trained after the institution of duty-hour restrictions in 2003 (termed "recently trained surgeons"). One hundred seventy-seven members respondents out of 1008 (18%). Most (101 of 170 [59%]) worked more than 80 hours in a week and half (86 of 174 [49%]) more than 24 hours consecutively once or more a month. Falling asleep inappropriately was reported by 6 to 12 per cent. Forty per cent (71 of 176) thought that graduates of residencies today are prepared for clinical practice. Those who had hired a recently trained surgeon believed the latter was sufficiently trained (61 of 123 [50%]) more often than those who had not hired one (10 of 51 [20%]; P = 0.006). Those with a new colleague gave first assistant help in 75 per cent (91 of 121) during the first year. Surgeons in practice regularly violate ACGME duty-hour restrictions. Many surgeons have doubts whether new graduates of residency training programs have adequate training to practice surgery. Those who have hired a new surgeon trained under duty-hour restrictions are more likely to be satisfied with the latter's training. Most new trainees receive direct assistance from their practice partners, continuing their training beyond residency.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, the Mercer University School of Medicine and the Medical Center of Central Georgia, Macon, Georgia, USA. nakayama.don@mccg.org
authors.forename: Don K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Nakayama
authors.forename: Spence M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Taylor
mesh_terms: D000068:Accreditation; D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate / Q000592:standards*; D005221:Fatigue / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D013502:General Surgery / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012892:Sleep Deprivation / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014940:Work Schedule Tolerance; D016526:Workload / Q000592:standards*